1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally pertains to systems and methods for performing medical imaging. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for optimizing an injected dose and scan time in SPECT imaging.
2. Description of the Related Art
The medical imaging field is improving. For example, image quality has greatly improved from a few years ago. In some cases, the changes are dramatic. Images are very life like. This has come about due to improvements in medical equipment design such as collimators and in software such as the reconstruction software that reproduces the images.
However, external factors such as medical care reimbursement is pushing the medical imaging field to be efficient at a low cost. With the high cost of malpractice insurance, hospitals and the medical field have to find a balance. Low cost medical service cannot be provided if it puts a patient at risk because it will in turn put the hospital or medical provider at risk for a law suit. Thus, there is a need to balance the two.
Reducing the scan time can allow more patients to be scanned. Reducing the dose reduces the problem of radiation exposure to the patient as well as the problem of acquiring radioactive pharmaceuticals that may be in short supply.
However, there are established protocols or guidelines concerning the use of scans and doses. For example, there are protocols or guidelines that are established for performing myocardial perfusion single photon emission CT (MPS) medical imaging scaning. The American Society of Nuclear Cardiology has proposed guidelines in Hansen C L, Goldstein R A, Akinboboye O O, et al. ASNC Imaging Guidelines For Nuclear Cardiology Procedures. J Nucl Cardiol. 2007; 14(6):e39-60, the contents of which are incorporated herein. The document provides tables, charts, and parameters. It is extensive concerning different options available to a practitioner. However, it provides more of a “one size fits all” approach as compared to a customized approach. The approach provided is also complicated because it has so many options for a practitioner. It is easy to get overwhelmed.
A need exists to be able to provide practical methods that can guide a user to plan a scan within a performance envelope to ensure useable image quality.
A need exists for adapting a scan time based on the patient to ensure the scan remains within a performance envelope.
A need also exists for a clinical protocol that is simple and uses a minimum number of parameters but still provides high quality images.
A further need exists for a system and method that reduces radiation doses to the patient and optimizes a scan time given a certain dose and a specific patient.